Allan Saint-Maximin sensationally accuses Fenerbahce doctors of urging him to break doping rules after war of words with Jose Mourinho

In the interview with French internet personality Zack Nani, Saint-Maximin spoke at length about his time on loan with Fenerbahce last season. In one sensational claim, Saint-Maximin claimed club doctors tried to get him to use a banned substance.

This was not the only major issue faced by the former Newcastle United star in an eventful year in Turkey, as he also revealed manager Jose Mourinho, often embroiled in controversy, had accused him of being overweight with a veiled dig at a player who "needs an elevator to go up the stairs". The Frenchman hit back by saying: "Lying gives flowers, but does not bear fruit."

Saint-Maximin said about the doping claims: "The reason Fenerbahce could not become champions was that the club was surrounded by factors other than football. At one point, they even tried to dope me. People do not know these things. You cannot talk about these things openly because they threaten you. If you do, they say 'we will do this and that to you'. Sometimes you find yourself in matters that go beyond football."

He added in a post on X after the interview went viral: "I see that things are going all over the place on X, so I'm going to clarify what I said. I was talking about those people around the club who are ready for anything. In my case, when I was sick, they practically gave me a treatment that’s considered a doping product. I don’t know for what purpose this team of doctors did that."

With his loan at Fenerbahce over, Saint-Maximin will return to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli, where one more year remains on his contract. It remains to be seen whether the 28-year-old will decide to extend his stay in Saudi Arabia or make a permanent return to Europe. He will be glad to have left his Fenerbahce chapter behind him.